Redemption
by MayaLoveTheBigFour
Summary: When Hans is exiled from Arendelle and sent on his way to his country, he snaps out of his madness and realizes what he has done. He escapes the ship he's being transported on and ends out stranded on what he thinks is a deserted island. He only has one goal in mind and only one reason to go back to Arendelle, and gain the only thing he has left to gain: Redemption. Please R&R 3
1. Redemption

Hans was sitting in his cell room on board of the French admiral's vessel, contemplating on his actions. Once he'd found himself encaged behind bars on route to The Southern Isles, he'd started to think about what he'd done. And realization struck him like a lightning bolt.

In all his 'childhood' years that he had to endure, he'd developed a sense of fear that followed him like a shadow everywhere he went. Being so desperate to escape from his cruel family's grasp, he'd straight gone mad and took ignoble measures to gain what he desired.

In such a distressed attempt to conquer his own country so that he would no longer be at his father & brothers' mercy, once he went to Arendelle to attend the queen's coronation he decided he liked the country and tried to trick the princess into marrying him right away. Of course, he had to plan a little 'accident' for the queen so that he could take the throne, but when she doomed herself and the princess went after her, he realized that with both gone, he had the kingdom all to himself. Convinced that the queen's ice magic had doomed her sister when she froze her heart, he revealed his plan to her to make her feel foolish and went after the queen. But when he was about to strike her down, the princess saved her and the queen thawed her heart, ruining all that he had worked on.

With both the royal sisters alive and the knowledge of his treacherous plan, he'd been exiled by the queen and thrown into one of the castle's prison cells for the night, awaiting to be brought back to his country where he would have to face his brothers. A French admiral had agreed to take him back, and had left him below deck in a rather comfortable cell all alone during the trip. He'd received lunch and no more, having nothing to do but think. That's when he woke up from his madness.

He let his head fall onto his palms in despair. Hans had always been the kind one in his family, inheriting his mother completely. But when she died, he remained the only one with a gentle heart among his brothers and father, who were as cruel and merciless as could be. He'd been bullied, embarrassed, beaten up and isolated from everything he loved. His whole childhood had been a nightmare, and when he finally gained some rights, he was fragile and balancing between two completely different personalities. He eventually lost it, and became almost as cruel and deceiving as his brothers, having even developed other qualities, far more ruthless than theirs. He was driven to madness, which led him to his own doom. While stuck in that little cell, he'd regained composure and realized what he'd done. But it was too late. And he knew it.

He was not the bad type, or cruel type, or evil type. Inside, he was actually kind, often gentle, he was noble and brave, and helpful and everything that defined a wise ruler. He was all a country could desire, but he'd been influenced to seal those qualities, so precious to him. Now that they had no meaning, he felt regret.

He regretted going mad. He regretted turning bad. He regretted his acceptance to seal those emotions. He regretted his actions in the kingdom of Arendelle. And he regretted everything.

He raised his head and breathed in. He blinked a few times to restrain his tears and looked out the porthole of the ship, at the endless waves of the sea. Then he had an idea, a spark of hope that was barely visible. It was so small you would say it was no use to try, but it was all he could do and he would not hesitate to have it. It became his hope, all he could think of and what he swore he would have, even if he had to die to gain it.

 _Redemption._

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 **It's short, I know. But this is just the introduction. If you couldn't already tell by the summary, this is what the story will be about. If you don't like Hans, I suggest you don't read this story.**

 **I don't own the picture. Original artist is _idontlikeitpaintitred_ , and you can find it oh his/her tumblr. Amazing artist.**

 **Love you all! 3**


	2. The Escape

**If you people don't like supernatural stuff or too much magic going on at a time, this story is not for you. Now ignore that darn spoiler and get reading! ;D**

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On the second day of his trip, Hans was awoken by the sound of a door opening. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times before he could awake, then sat up of his bed's red blanket and rubbed his forehead. He'd expected karma to give him more than a headache, but he wasn't complaining. The boy closed the door -with rather difficulty as he was holding a tray- and came up to the cell's bars. Hans stood up as the boy placed the tray on the floor and unlocked a small gate in the middle of the cell door. He picked up the tray and passed it to Hans through the opening. He smiled.

"Thank you Adam." He said, and the boy smiled back. He was as tall as Hans, but only 17 years old. He had long, white hair that flowed down to his hips in a mess and sparkling green eyes that shone with ambition. He hadn't chosen to be a sailor, but eventually he didn't have a choice. It was by coincidence that he met Hans, but he was the only one who could see the prince's true being and how regretful he was.

"It's my job, your highness." He replied, locking the gate back. Hans placed the tray on his table and looked back to him.

"I'm not a prince anymore Adam, please stop calling me that." He said, but Adam ignored him as always. "I don't deserve that title and you're the only one who doesn't see that." He added, tone far from harsh. Adam crossed his arms.

"Correction: everyone else doesn't see you deserve it. Including you." He said, pointing to him through the bars. Hans looked him in the eyes and saw a sparkle that somehow relieved him. That boy was special, and he alone could tell. Adam was happy to see him smile. He sat down on a role of rope and took out a rather old sandwich from his leather bag that he carried around with him. Hans, as everyone else on the ship, could see he never ate a decent breakfast( or any meal for that matter) from how incredibly skinny he was, but no one beside him cared. Hans picked up a croissant from his typically French breakfast plate and slipped it through the bars.

"Here you go Adam." The boy looked up from his sandwich and gulped loudly, staring at the dessert in surprise.

"It's you breakfast your highness, I can't accept it." He said, but Hans saw he looked at it with yearning. He didn't pull it back.

"You need it more than me. Come on, take it." He said. Adam glanced at him and hesitated, before deciding to take it. He looked at it as if it was treasure, knowing it was probably the only time he would be given such a treat.

"Thank you, your highness." He thanked him as he put it aside, saving it for as much time as he could. Hans sat down with a sigh and shook his head, before cutting a pancake in half.

"What would you do if I asked you to stop calling me that?" he asked. "Again." The boy stopped chewing and looked up at the prince with a smile.

"I would stubbornly refuse." He answered and looked back to his food. He heard Hans giggle and saw him shake his head with the corner of his eyes. And he also heard what he said next, even though he was not intended to.

"Of course..."

* * *

The ship was sailing calmly on the endless sea, and the midday sun was shining above it. The lazier sailors were mostly sleeping or resting below deck, while the others simply hung around, doing nautical affairs. Lunch had passed, and few people were still up for work after a satisfying meal.

In a small cell below deck, Hans was also resting on his bed, as he'd done the whole day before. But he didn't plan on staying another entire day there, waiting to arrive on the shore of The Southern Isles and be greeted by the sight of 12 angry brothers and an outraged father, who would do no less than punish him by death or worse. No… he wouldn't let himself be corrupted again by fear and despair. Never again.

So, as most sailors were sleeping, he planned to escape somehow, and get as far away from the ship as possible. But for that, he needed a boat, supplies, a compass and a map to be able to find his way to shore. Any other shore than the one the French vessel was heading to. His ship, as a few others, had been too damaged for him to use it to go home, and he was thankful for that. He didn't want to know what that dreadful captain would've done to him as a prisoner.

So now he waited patiently for Adam to come bring him lunch, so he could ask the boy to help him. He felt guilty for asking a boy to plan his escape. If he got caught, he would've also been considered a criminal, just like him and be imprisoned somewhere. Or worse. His job was all he had, and Hans hated to put that at risk. The more he thought about it, the more guilty he felt, and so he eventually decided to leave the boy out of it. Him of all people didn't have the right to put other people's dignity at risk. The sound of an opening door broke the silence. He sat up and watched as Adam came in, carrying the same tray from breakfast. Once Adam gave it to him, he thanked him with a sad smile and placed it on the table. He heard the young sailor lock the small gate slowly, and as he sat down to eat felt a slight buzzing in his head, like a bee searching through his mind. His vision got blurred, but went away quickly as he felt a gaze upon him, and turned around to Adam. He gasped and backed up, knocking the chair down. The boy hadn't moved an inch, and was staring him down with wide eyes. His sparkling green had darkened and his gaze was so intense it was scary.

He then suddenly blinked a few times and tightened his eyes, opening them with a breath he was unknowingly holding in. With another blink he turned to Hans, seeming surprised to find the prince staring at him with fright like he was a ghost.

"Your highness, are you okay?" he asked, with a tone of worry in his voice. Hans kept staring at him, his mind trying to process the sight he'd just witnessed. _He looked possessed_ , Hans thought, still picturing the unhuman darkness in his green eyes seeing through him. Adam had no idea that he had looked different at all since he felt completely unchanged, so Hans' behavior started worrying him that the prince may have lost his mind.

"Your highness!" he said, raising his voice up with a clearly distressed figure. Hans shook away his thoughts and seeing the boy was back to normal, he regained his composure, bending down to raise the chair back up.

"Sorry Adam, I was… thinking." he tried to find an excuse, feeling a slight hesitation before answering. Something occurred to him that he shouldn't tell the boy about it. Adam didn't seem to believe him, but went on with the conversation without questioning him.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Hans tried to smile and appear as casual as ever.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." he said. "I'm just not looking forward to seeing my brothers." he continued, hoping that Adam would drop the subject at the mention of his abusive family, knowing how he despised them. The young sailor nodded, but didn't give any signs he would leave as he didn't even move.

"You want to ask me for something?" he asked, although it sounded to both more lie a sentence than a question. Hans felt a lump in his throat at this. How did he know? Did he say something by accident? Did it have anything to do with the _event_ from earlier?

"Prince Hans?" Hans sighed, abandoning his casual mask. He knew an argument with Adam wouldn't lead anywhere, not with his insistent personality. He sounded way too confident about it, and he was stubborn above all.

"Yes… but it doesn't matter." he said as he sat down, avoiding to look him in the eye. "It was nothing, really." he added, trying his best to make him give up on it and leave him to his misery. Now he regretted having that idea, seeing as he wasn't able to conceal it as much as he tried. _I'm turning into Queen Elsa..._ he thought to himself, but quickly shook the comparison away _._ Who was he to compare himself to her? Adam stumped his foot down and crossed his arms just like an upset child, and Hans knew he'd lost before he even begun.

"Your highness, I insist you tell me." he said. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I could help you." Hans frowned a little, but Adam didn't take notice. That the boy knew he'd wanted to ask him something could easily be explained from an expression that slid through, or something he might have accidentally said. But that question could have been a friendly advice, a complaint or a simple 'yes'/'no' question. The fact that Adam was positively sure that it would be a request or a problem he needed help with was peculiar, even suspicious, making Hans wonder whether he'd just guessed it or if he actually knew. And if he did... how?

"Alright." he announced in defeat, and stood up in front of the bars. "I want- need, to escape this night. I will not let myself be driven by madness again, and meeting with my brothers and father won't help." he started. Adam listened to him, though wearing a knowing expression which Hans decided to ignore for now. " But for that I'll need a boat, supplies, a compass and a map so I can sail away, and you're the only one that can help me. It would put your job in danger though, and I don't want that." Adam raised his hand to stop him there.

"My job won't be in danger. I know how to keep a secret, and people on this vessel trust me. If anything, they will stand up for me." Hans opened his mouth to say something, but he cut him off. "Plus, they consider me too young to do such a thing." Hans sighed. Adam seemed too determined to help him, there was no point in objecting.

"I'll get you what you need and come at night to set you free." he said while he walked to the door with his back turned. As he opened it and made a step outside, he heard Hans say something that made him smile.

"Thank you."

* * *

 _The admiral pushed him into his temporary cell, making him stumble on the floor and a bucket fall on his head conveniently. He furiously pushed it off and got up_ _slowly_ _, listening to the voices talking behind him._

" _I will return this scoundrel to his country." he heard the admiral say in his usual French accent. "We'll see what his 12 older brothers think of his behavior." The thought of his brothers cut through his other thoughts like a knife, blocking out anything else happening around him._

" _Thank you sir." said Kai respectfully as he got off the ship._

 _His mind got filled with all the dreadful reactions his brothers will have when they find out he'd tried to get away from them and failed, putting their entire family to shame. He imagined how embarrassed and scared he'd feel with no less than 12 fiery gazes blazing through him like fire on paper. He imagined his father's murderous look of anger and then all the punishments he could possibly receive, flowing rapidly through his mind like a poisoned river. He barely heard the Duke of Weselton ramble on about the pain in his neck in the background like a fog, as the horrible faith that awaited him became clear as day. What had he done?_

His eyes shot open and he gasped, sweat trickling down his brow in thought of the dreadful moment he'd been hit by realization like 10 tons of ice. He quickly sat up and shot desperate glances around him to see where he was, panting like he'd ran a marathon. He recognized the interior design of his cell and saw Adam leaning close by him, his hand on his shoulder, comorting.

"It was a nightmare, your highness." he said as Hans realized he was the one who'd awakened him, shaking him by his shoulders he assumed. He breathed in much needed relief and exhaled deeply, trying to calm his nerves. It was not over yet, he still had a chance.

"I-I know, Adam." he said as the boy took his hand off his shoulder. "I'm fine." he added to reassure him. Adam nodded then headed towards the door of the cell, which Hans noticed was open and walked up to the door of the room, motioning for him to follow. He got up and walked to him.

"The captain has a very sensible sleep." Adam whispered, so that Hans could barely hear him and had to breathe quietly to make it out. "Be as quiet as you can, he makes a lot of noise when he wakes up." he whispered.

The prince nodded knowingly and waited for him to open the door wide enough to fit through. They tiptoed out the corridor without making any sounds, hearing the muffled snores of the sleeping crew through the walls. The boat was newly built so he doubted it'd have any rickety planks he could accidentally step on, but yet he still walked cautiously, having taken enough risks asking Adam to do this. He tried to follow Adam down the corridor, but he managed to lose sight of him once or twice. There wasn't much light below deck except for one of two torches, and the boy moved through the shadows like he was one itself. They reached a staircase that led up to the main deck, where the captain's quarters were, just opposite the two staircases at each end of the corridor. The two diagonally built doors that led outside were already open, much to Hans' surprise, who knew that the crew's quarters were below deck and sailor usually didn't have any tasks during the night. They got outside quietly, to the greeting of the cool night breeze. Adam turned around slowly and pressed his finger on his lips, pinpointing the captain's room with his head. Hans nodded as slowly, knowing they were at a stone's throw from him, close enough to hear him snore. Adam carefully put one foot in front of the other and Hans followed, yet thinking the captain couldn't have that sensible sleep since it was quite late at night.

It took them about 10 minutes to get from a ship's side to the other -to Hans' impatience- where he saw that one of the escape boats was almost filled to the brim with blankets, boxes of food and a bag of others, next to a folded map, two paddles and a compass. He smiled, knowing it was the boat Adam had prepared for him with each and every supply he'd mentioned the day before at lunch. He carefully stepped in the boat, trying his best not to make her dangle and hit the side of the ship, otherwise someone was bound to wake up. Once he was comfortably in, Adam started untying the knots of the ropes that held the boat and slowly oiled the pulley so that it would not creak while he let it down. He held the ropes in one hand then led his other hand out to him. He gratefully took it and shook hands with the boy, showing his gratitude the best way he could without speaking.

" _Good luck."_ he mimicked, not making a single sound. Hans nodded and smiled warmly at him, looking into his bright green eyes with recognition.

" _Thank you."_ he mimicked back. Adam nodded as a sign that he understood and grabbed the ropes, slowly and carefully letting the boat down to water. The sea wasn't exactly calm, but the wind wasn't raging either and the boat was barely dangling above the waves until it came down with a barely audible 'splash'. Adam pulled back the ropes and arranged them as if they were still holding one, hoping no one would notice. Hans picked up the paddles and started paddling away quietly, with the boy watching him from the side of the ship. He'd gained some distance when he looked back at the ship. He couldn't see Adam at the side of the ship anymore, and thought he'd gone below deck to sleep, a wise decision really since he needed his sleep. He kept on paddling in the direction of the compass and looked on the map to estimate how many miles he was off Arendelle's shore, as he was at least 2 days away by now. He sighed loudly. He had a long journey ahead of him, and an escape boat wasn't exactly a luxurious mean of transport or the fastest one, but it would all be worth it if he would eventually have his redemption and at least post-pone the meeting with his family.

Once the ship was almost out of sight, he looked back once again and saw a tiny figure climbing up to the crow's nest like a professional athlete, flying up the nets and swinging its way up the ropes. He bent down and stopped paddling. He was quite far away, but experienced sailors are used to seeing at night and if he moved too much he would easily spot him and turn the ship around. He saw the figure climb up on a mast and scan over the horizon, giving him a wave when he came in sight. He sighed in relief, realizing it was Adam and he waved back, feeling quite sad to see his figure moving away. He then saw Adam climb to the crow's nest, and stay there until the ship was completely out of sight. _So that's why the doors to the deck were open_ , Hans thought, remembering that he'd forgotten about the one duty sailors have at night. _Adam's on duty at the crow's nest._

As he continued to paddle further and further away, he started thinking if he would see the boy again one day. He was undoubtedly kind and very helpful, and an enjoyable company overall, so far the only person who hadn't seen him as a murderous traitor. As he thought into it, he had an idea. After -or if _-_ he would redeem himself and have everything settled with Arendelle's royal family, maybe he could come visit Adam sometime or send him a letter, just to assure him that he'd arrived safely and to make sure he hadn't been fired by helping him escape. He thought about the ship's destination, aside from the shores of The Southern Isles and tried to remember what Adam had told him when they first had a chat. He hadn't been to France before, but then again he hadn't gone to many places. That was where most the sailors on the ship were from, except a couple of weird people who were from god-knows-where and the captain, who was from the small kingdom of Fjerhonnl, located next to the Eastern Isles, ruled by his uncle, which he didn't fancy thinking about. Adam was from France as well, and if he could visit him he would also get the chance to properly see the country. It would be a nice experience.

He kept paddling for about 2 hours, when he started to feel exhausted. Escaping in the middle of the night had its consequences after all, and that dreadful nightmare hadn't exactly offered him the chance to actually rest. He took out 2 blankets, folded one to serve as a pillow and covered himself with the other, trying to fit inside the crowded boat to his liking.

He was almost asleep when the sea started getting agitated and the sky started to darken, along with the blowing cold night wind that startled his when it whistled past him like a warning. He sat up and looked around him, after checking his compass. Dark storm clouds covered the sky in the direction he was heading to, and he heard the deep rumble of a thunder before a lightning bolt cut the sky in half, throwing a flash of light on his face teasingly. He sighed, more of annoyance than anything else. He knew karma would give him more than a headache.

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 **I'll be leaving for a week to Greece because it's summer, so I won't post any chapters until after. Love you all! 333**


	3. Stranded, part l

**It's been a long time, yes I know, it's not much either, I know. Just read the story and enjoy. ;) 333**

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Stranded, part I

He felt a slight burn on his nape and groaned, waking up to the calming sound of the sea water brushing against the sandy beach. He tried to open his eyes, blinking a few times due to the shinning summer sun conveniently sending its rays on his face. He dug his hands into the sand and struggled to raise to his feet, failing miserably as he felt his weak body drained of all strength. He fell down again, careful to land on his side this time and breathed a few times, in hope it would calm his aching muscles, that felt like heavy weights hanging down from his shaking limbs. He was feeling as if he'd foolishly climbed a whole mountain without taking a single break, then ran a 20 kilometer marathon at full speed without breathing.

 _Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit…_ , he admitted silently and closed his eyes to get some rest, waiting to feel in power again so he could at least stand still and see where he was.

The sun was slowly raising up the sky as usual, and it was almost straight above his head when he managed to stand up. Between blinking and wobbling around to find his balance, he tried taking notes of his surroundings: he ran his hand through the dry sand on the beach, he stared into the blue horizon of the sea and marched along the border of tropical vegetation that began a few feet further than where he'd awoken and extended up some tall hills that led to a high cliff, which seemed small due to the distance it was at.

He made his way to some round stones, avoiding the rushing sea water that brushed against them, covering the smooth surface with a slippery, salty layer. He raised his foot up to the tallest one and rested his left arm on it, shading his eyes with the other to keep the sun from blinding him.

That was a big island. The little sandy land portion he was on was just a random tiny extension of a massive island, completely covered in vegetation of a vibrating dark green. Even as he bent down to try and see the end of it, the other side was lost in a distant fog, disappearing behind an impressively large mountain range which rose up proudly to the sky. He carefully stepped off the rocks and jogged to the other side, being too tired to run properly. The other side was smaller, him being able to see where the forest ended and the terrain sunk down into the waters again. There was a smaller mountain closer to the center, but it was rather small compared to the range he just saw. He could barely see the sharp tip of yet another mountain, quite the distance ahead.

He took a few steps back to observe everything as one piece together, when he stepped on something sharp that cut through his black boot and got stuck there, causing him to lose his balance and fall back on the ground, raising up a small cloud of sand particles. He struggled back up with a moan and took a look at the palm of his foot, where a sharp piece of shattered glass stuck out from the rubber. He pulled it out and took a look at it. It was just a regular piece of glass, but it was strange how glass would be lying around on an isolated beach far away from people. Just like… him.

It took him a couple of seconds to remember _why_ and _how_ he was there in the first place, and it was surely not to observe the scenery. He remembered the storm that hit him that night and how he tried his best to keep the boat afloat, only to be swallowed by a gigantic wave. He remembered how desperately he tried to stay above the surface, holding on to the only wood plank large enough for him to grab onto, but was pulled under the dark covers of the depths and fainted. Everything was black after that until he woke up. That explained why his clothes were ragged and wet, why he felt so thirsty and tired, and why that island seemed so unfamiliar to him. He was lost, thirsty, helpless… _stranded._

* * *

 _I. Hate. Karma_ , he cursed as he pushed aside all the unexpectedly large leaves coming out the dense bushes that blocked the invisible path he followed. During the last hour, he'd scoured the beach up and down for any supplies that might have ended up close by, hoping to find something useful, anything. The only items he found were a square plastic flask filled with sea water, an intact but not really helpful frying pan and a small rusty metal box, that had its cover stuck. All in all, not much useful stuff, but in his current condition he was willing to accept any kind of object that wasn't a rock, plant or a bunch of sand, so he took them with him anyway. They were a bit annoying to carry, since he didn't have a way to transport them all easily, but he never knew when they might come in handy.

He climbed up a fallen log and continued his laborious journey through the forest, taking a look at any possible signs of life. The 'journey' didn't exactly have a destination or a set goal, but even though it seemed uninhabited, the island was undoubtedly very large. There was a chance there would be a village somewhere, even a tiny fishing village or a small mountain one since the island's landscape seemed perfect for that specific settlement. Back in his kingdom -his _father's_ kingdom, during the days his mother was still alive –may god rest her kind soul- they used to go to a private island for a week or less when it was too hot outside to simply stay in the palace, where they had a luxurious resort built special for the occasion. After the death of his beloved mother though, the king completely forgot about it, and he never got to go there again. This one was a lot bigger than their private small island, but if you ignored the burning hot sun and the massive amount of dense tropical vegetation, the place was in fact enjoyable so the possibility of such a resort was not very low.

With these thoughts he managed to put quite the distance between him and the beach he'd stranded on, heading so deep into the forest that the trees got unexpectedly tall, and on his unseen path he'd found strange plants with strange leaves and strange shapes. It got him curious, all of those mysterious new life forms and the warm climate. Hadn't he been exhausted, he would have tried to put two & two together and figure out where exactly this island was on the planet, but since he hadn't eaten in one day and one night he couldn't be bothered. All he wanted now was food, even if it was foreign or probably poisonous. He was willing to take the risk if it meant not to be so starved anymore, and so desperate for the comfort of a warm bed at home. His father & brothers didn't seem that menacing if it meant he would have a room, food and water instead of this unknown territory he was marching through.

Hans had been a prince his whole life. An abused and low-treated one, yes, but he was a prince nonetheless and since he was royalty, he'd never been faced with the problem of surviving alone, with no servants or guards or people for a matter of fact. He was used to walking around the huge palace of The Southern Isles freely, giving orders, awaiting for his meals to be served at a precise hour, reading books in the royal library, riding his horse Sitron around the town, letting servant prepare his bed & bath, everything being always there when he needed it. He was never faced with a more difficult task than having to adapt to a new environment all by himself, searching for food and water, wearing the same ragged, soaked wet clothes all the time, with only a frying pan & a plastic bottle at hand -if we ignored the useless metal box.

He squeezed through a large bush and a thick tree, trying to not lose track of his imaginary path, when his foot got stuck under an exposed root and he tripped over, dropping all his items and landing into a pile of mud face straight. Luckily, he'd been smart enough to keep his eyes and mouth shut, but when he struggled to get up, the whole front side of his body -except from the knee down- was completely dipped in slippery mud, making him look even worse than he already was. He took his glove off and wiped his face as well as he could, only leaving behind a few striped of dried mud as he didn't have any water to wash them off properly. He put the glove in his pocket as it was too dirty to wear and looked to where the mud was, carefully walking around it. He almost tripped over again when he stepped on the frying pan he'd dropped, and suddenly realised he'd accidentally thrown the only items he had to god knows where. He picked up the frying pan and looked through the surrounding bushes, doing his best to keep himself from panicking. They may have been useless, but they were human objects that reminded him of civilization and he didn't dare lose them. His efforts turned out to be in vain though: the bottle and the box were nowhere to be found. He breathed, trying not to panick once again, and reminded himself where his invisible path was so he could return to his main and most important goal. Finding the tiniest sign of human activity and eventually food or shelter, or preferably both.

He did nothing but walk the whole remaining day, stopping one or two times to rest under a tree. He was famished, parched, tired and utterly sick of everything. If you looked at his messy hair and muddy clothes while he walked, the sight was no different than the one of a decaying zombie carrying a frying pan. The sun was setting by the time he stopped a third time to rest, and the forest no longer looked or felt that annoying and mysteriously alive. It was a straight scary place, with a slight warm breeze blowing through the leaves and the slow setting of the sun that casted an immense shadow over the entire island. He still felt exhausted as hell, but he didn't fancy staying in one place during the night in that forest.

Hans had been outside during the night several times back at home, but he was always joined by guards carrying torches, and the walks were usually on the back of Sitron, climbing up a path in the mountain to a small cliff where there was a spring flowing out into a pond. A bench had been set up there just for him, so he could spend all the time he wanted in that place, admiring the stars and searching for constellations until he felt tired enough to head to bed. They were enjoyable, calm and eventless. Unlike this one.

Everywhere you looked the shadows seemed to whisper to you, and you would hear steps behind you each time you walked yourself, feeling watched by everything from anywhere. It was the perfect scenario for a horror story, but this time it was reality and reality was scarier than you would imagine. Hans could feel his heart pounding with every other sound he heard and his mind desperately insisted on walking faster and faster, until he was dashing through the plants and over roots & logs, sprinting by bushes and avoiding trees. He so felt like screaming for help, but he managed to convince himself somehow that screams would only attract more predators and he would be in even more danger. He ran further and further, until he banged into a massive tree, that blended in with the shadows. The moon was a crescent that night, and the clouds were covering almost all of it so it was pretty difficult to see around you, especially if you were having a panick attack. He looked up to see what he had hit, and noticed how the branches split in different directions, like a welcoming cage. It was hard to see them well, but the tree went pretty high up. He had a sudden thought: _Maybe it's tall enough for the moon to light it…_ It was just a possibility, but it was worth a try. When another breeze brushed past him in devilish whispers, he forgot all about how exhausted he was and practically jumped up the tree like a monkey scared for its dear life. When he reached a large enough branch, he stopped and panted, looking down at the forest below. From above, it didn't look frightening anymore, mainly like a big blanket of leaves that moved slightly in the cool night breeze. He glanced up at the sky, seeing the clouds slowly parting for the moon to light up the Earth as well as it was capable of, giving it a much friendlier aura.

He looked at it for a while, calming himself down with hopeful reassurance, until he felt his eyes begging to shut and let him sleep. He realized he couldn't sleep on that branch since he would surely fall off, so he climbed up higher until he reached an open area, where much larger branches spread around in random directions, forming quite the nice shelter for anyone who was lost and tired to rest in. He laid down with a thud, so relieved to have found a relatively safe place to sleep through the dark night. The moon shone through the leaves of the foreign tree and shined over his face, as if telling him he was safe now. As he waited for sleep to take over, he was slowly surrounded by peaceful fireflies, who were flying around aimlessly in search of places to light up. His lips curled up slightly as he fell into the comforting darkness of sleep.

* * *

As the morning sun made his way through the greenery, Hans awoke from his peaceful slumber with a moan of protest. He opened his eyelids and blinked as soon as they adjusted to the light, greeted by the sight of two golden-black eyes no more than an inch away from his face.

" _Bwaak!"_ the giant bird squawked.

"AAAAAH!" he screamed, making a swarm of smaller feathered creatures fly away from the echo of his yell through the trees nearby. The bird continued to stare at him as he backed up, sticking his back to a large branch. Unlike him, the eagle was perfectly calm as it tilted its head at him, seeming confused by his disturbance. Hans on the other hand was exactly the opposite. He'd never seen birds that big, and he'd certainly never awoken with one staring it down right next to him. When it tilted its head just like a parrot would do, he unknowingly repeated the action. The prey bird raised its neck up and inspected him for a second, then squawked again, ruffling its black and red feathers casually. It received a frown from Hans, who at this point was more confused than ever.

What was he supposed to do? If that bird would have seen him as its prey, it would have surely attacked him in his sleep. Instead, it decided to stare at him until he woke up. Strange… what did it want then? He stared the bird up and down, analyzing its features while it cleaned up one of its wings with its beak.

Despite the awkwardness, it was a beautiful bird indeed. Black feathers surrounded its back and sides, with golden-like tips at the end of the tail and wings. It had a round red belly and a few small feathers with red tips on its head as a sort of haircut. It stood up proud and tall, resembling an eagle in all its glory. Hans though, had never seen an eagle up close before, therefore he couldn't identify what species it was. but it seemed peaceful enough. Except for maybe its disturbingly loud squawks. Still feeling awkward, Hans shifted a little off the branch and closer up to the creature.

"Okay then…" he mumbled, startled by the sound of his own voice, that had gone hoarse and dry. The eagle didn't react to him speaking, other than blinking. It was silence for a few moments, until he felt his stomach rumble impatiently and realized how dead starving and thirsty he was. Picking up his frying pan, he crawled to the side of the tree, looking back at the bird who hadn't moved an inch.

"Wanna get something to eat?" he asked, ignoring how stupid he sounded talking to an animal. The eagle answered with what surprisingly looked like a nod and squawked again, spreading its large wings and taking off to the sky. It rotated back after a while and stopped midair close to the prince, waiting for him to climb down. He smirked and carefully started to head down the tree.

"Looks like we're going together then." he said, receiving yet another loud squawk from the bird.

* * *

 **Next chapter will be more interesting, I'm working on it. And by the way, there will be only two more chapters of... this^ until the actual story begins. Check out the summary again if you don't get it. :D 33**


	4. Stranded, part ll

Stranded, part ll

The grass bent down under the pressure of the warm midday breeze that howled silently through the trees, ruffling his auburn hair as he lay still in the clearing, supporting the back of his head on his palms. His emerald green eyes were locked on the bright pink leaves above him, that played with the sunlight shinning through them, his thoughts wandering about through his mind.

It had been 3 days, three days of unsuccessful searches and false hopes. Though exhausting and difficult to get through, these three days had been the best since he stranded on the beaches of the seemingly endless foreign land, almost starving and thirsting to death. After spending the night there, earning the much desired rest he needed, he remembered to think strategically prince-like, even if he was nowhere close to civilization and managed to put his thoughts in order and arrange the priorities. Priority number one: food.

Having nothing else to do, he explored the forest. It was nothing like he'd ever seen before, having quite the magical air you could feel everywhere you walked and giving away all of its unusual plant species for the world to see. Trees for example.

Back at home, he only knew one type of tree: brown bark and green leaves, varying in size, width or height. He was stunned to say the least, when he stumbled over a tall tree with harsh white bark and a multitude of brightly colored pink leaves. It was by far the most surprising appearance you could ever think a tree would have, but they weren't colored that way to look pretty. White was not a color you'd expect to find in a forest, thus many animals avoided it since white bark was not considered eatable. He, of course, didn't plan on eating bark so he climbed up to see if it had any non-poisoned looking fruit on its branches. He found plenty of fruit, but they didn't exactly look appealing to him. They were perfectly round and grew in groups of two, having a soap-like texture, only not slippery and unexpectedly soft. However, he _was_ starving, and the fact that they smelled like melted sugar wasn't helping with his caution. So he decided to risk it and try some, at least to quench his hunger a bit. Just a he took a bite, he raised his hand to his mouth, trying not to spit it out.

It was _so_ sweet. The fact that it even _tasted_ like sugar -with a slight pinch of peach juice- didn't bother him, but since he hadn't drunk in one day and one night, it just stuck to his palate and he immediately felt like coughing it up. It was so sweet his dried throat hurt even more, so he only hardly swallowed it and left. It wasn't poisoned and it was food, but he couldn't possibly eat that on an empty stomach and with a desert dry throat.

Priority number two: water.

It took him a while, but he found a whole chain of 'sugar trees' as he called them, and followed it. Those trees had to have a lot of natural sugar and liquids in them to grow fruit that sweet, so he tried to make a connection whenever he found another one, hoping they would lead to water. His theory was right: those trees all connected somehow, probably underground, and when he reached the last tree he stepped into a very small clearing. The size couldn't matter less when there was a flowing spring right in front of him though. Water had never tasted as good as then: cold, refreshing and empowering. As soon as the sun began to set, he went back to his 'shelter tree' and for the first time in two exhausting days, he simply laid down and relaxed. After a whole day of searching, he found food and water, the most important necessities he needed to survive.

Priority number three was already accomplished: shelter.

He was so lucky to have stumbled over that tree that first terrifying night. It wasn't hard to climb so he would save energy, it was high up so he could scan the whole area, it was large enough for one to sleep without falling off, it was protected enough so the rain wouldn't get through and it was easy to locate, since it was one of the highest and thickest trees in the part of the forest he'd seen.

The next two days after that were mostly the same thing: searching for signs of life, animals, bugs, anything. The forest was much nicer since he'd learned his way around the place, but it was awfully quiet and he hadn't given up on his only reason that kept him going. He still needed to get a boat and get back to Arendelle… somehow. But while that was his ultimate, most important goal, while he was stuck on that island the only thing to do was focus on smaller tasks essential to his survival until he could leave.

Another warm breeze flew right past him, ruffling his locks and brushing against his face and blue tunic in large gusts of fresh air, making him close his eyes as he inhaled it with a small smile on his lips. He'd only remained in his dark blue leather pants, tunic and boots because of the incredibly warm climate, and at one point he even had to unbutton the neck of his blouse to prevent heat from gathering up. Even though he was technically still probably miles away from civilization and living in a tree eating foreign fruit, he was still alive, and there were times like those when he liked to just lay down somewhere and think, getting the worries of his complicated life wandering out and about, clearing his mind of problems and 'what if's. In other words, he liked to relax.

He snapped out of his daydream when he heard flapping behind him, and then the sound of ruffled feathers close to his ear. He turned his head to look up, spotting a small black & red colored figure staring at him with golden eyes. His lips perked up into another smile, this one slightly larger.

"Hey Torray." he said, earning a happy screech from the eagle he'd met and named two days earlier. The bird had been a more enjoyable company than he'd expected, and after agreeing upon a name, he started seeing him as a friend more than a pet. He looked more like a mountain eagle to him, the way he stood back straight every time he landed, the way his call echoed loudly through the trees and the way he looked over everything with a high head, always searching for an excuse to fly higher up than he usually did. Either way, he'd stuck around –for some weird reason- and Hans was more than happy to have another living being with him, even if it was just a bird.

The eagle bent down and grabbed something in its beak, holding it up for Hans to see. I was a small mouse, long dead by the looks of it. The prince's eyes widened and he quickly sat up on his elbows, surprised to see a different animal from his friend, even dead as it was.

"A mouse? Where'd you find it?" he asked, looking up from the dead animal. "The mountains?" he tried, making Torray tilt his head. He'd learned a few of his expressions those last days, and was able to interpret that as a 'try again'. "The forest?" His eyes went even wider when the bird screeched and grabbed the dead mouse again, taking off in the direction it came from.

"Hey! Wait up!" Hans yelled after it, running to the spring to get a quick drink then sprinting after his animal friend, trying to not lose sight of him through the leaves. Not looking where he was going, he almost tripped but hastily got back on track, following the eagle until he reached their 'home tree'. He climbed up it, careful not to fall, then looked around the dense leaves and thick branches, finally catching sight of the black figure he was searching for. He crawled up to the bird, that leaned its head questionably.

"Don't do that." he panted and sat down in a more comfortable position, recovering his breath while Torray shook his feathers, mouse still in his beak. "So…" he began, still breathing kind of heavy, "where'd you find it?"

The eagle put its prey on the branch, claws over it so it wouldn't fall, and squawked implicitly in the direction of a tall plateau covered in greenery, that climbed up a rather small nearby mountain, hiding whatever was behind it. Hans looked at it for a while, failing to see anything beyond it. It was quite the distance away… no wonder Torray had been gone all morning. But he didn't care how far away it was, as long as there were living beings over there. He would have been heading there right then if not for his rational thinking.

He couldn't assume how long it would take him to walk that distance, plus there was the problem of food and water. The only spring he'd found was the one in the clearing, and since he'd lost the plastic bottle on his way there –stupid..!- he didn't have a way to carry the liquid around. He would definitely need it, since the road was long and the only type of food he had were the fruits the 'sugar trees' made, that were sweet as hell. No, he would have probably thirsted to death before reaching the plateau.

His eyes darted over to his eagle friend, who'd almost finished munching on his well-earned prey, and he started stroking his feathered head with two fingers, still deep in thought. He'd become very close to him, close enough to understand certain gestures in his language even… maybe that was more useful than he thought. A flicker or light shined in his eyes.

"Hey Torray?" he said, making the bird look up at him with a tilted head, recognizing its name. "You think you can do something for me?" he asked. The eagle abandoned the remains of its prey and floated down the branch and onto his lowered forearm, making Hans raise it so they were eye to eye. He looked at the prince in silence, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Could you find me some water source over there?" he asked, pointing to the plateau his friend had just come from. Torray followed the trail of his finger and screeched loudly, earning a gentle pat on the head.

"Thanks buddy." Hans said, watching him take off into the indicated direction, under the now afternoon sun. He sighed when he was out of sight, thinking of what to do with the rest of his day. Go explore, of course, as usual.

Hans climbed down the tree and went off, hands in his pockets, heading south -a direction he'd only briefly explored before. He made his way through the bushes absent-minded for a while, barely watching where he was stepping. He shook his head when he walked into a tree, taking a brief look at it. Instead of going further his brow furrowed into a surprised frown, he stopped and bent down to make sure it wasn't his mind playing tricks on him.

There was a deep cut through the tree trunk, running diagonally across the whole surface. He touched it cautiously, feeling a soft substance… like soot, and the wood chips left behind in the mark. His frown deepened, as this was not the life sign he expected. He would have rather found a bug or a bird, and whatever had left that mark on that tree didn't seem friendly in the least; more like territorial and aggressive. He swiped two fingers across the wood, rubbing the black dust between them and his thumb. Careful not to inhale it, he raised the matter up to his nose and tried to see if he recognized the smell. It was definitely soot.

He stood back up, shaking the substance off his hand. Why was there soot in the middle of an uninhabited forest? Wasn't soot supposed to come from unextinguished fires? And what did soot have to do with the animal that made the cut in the tree?

So many questions… too many questions. Hans breathed and put his mind at peace, organizing the questions in his strategical way of thinking.

First of all, that gash in the trunk had surely come from an animal, a pretty big one by the looks of it. It looked an awful lot like a territory mark, like bears did when they wanted to mark the limits of their land, a claw scratch on a tree or several other ways of keeping other predators away. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but it was enough to make something click in place. He though so stupid of himself when he looked around and noticed how some bushes were flatter than the others, as if something –something _big_ \- had stepped on them. His heartbeat started increasing all of a sudden, and he threw worried glances around him. Was he on that… _thing_ 's territory? Was he trespassing?! That would explain the lack of animals everywhere, or why there were so many sounds at night that didn't seem like wind whatsoever. Maybe it was nocturnal… he shook at the thought, now straight down terrified of whatever that creature was. If he hadn't climbed up that tree the first night, he was sure he would've been a goner. Man he'd been lucky.

He backed up from the scarred tree, impatient to get away from the spot as soon as possible, when he almost tripped over a bush, managing to keep himself on his feet just in time. Even a tiny, innocent bush scared him. A _bush_.

He turned from the tree and started jogging the way he came, not having enough energy to properly run. Three days weren't enough to get him out of 23 years of royalty, and those sugary fruit weren't the most nutritious food around. As he headed for his 'home tree', the forest seem to change around him, becoming less welcoming by the second. Now, he looked carefully all around him, ready to jump at the slightest sound other than his boots scratching the unleveled ground beneath him, that was full of very shallow, weirdly shaped holes… wait! He stopped and looked down, letting out a horrified gasp. The holes he kept stepping into were the distinct prints of a large four-legged animal, with three bulk fingers on each foot and sharp claws that dug into the dirt mercilessly. Worse than that, they were heading in the same direction as him, towards the tree and the clearing and the chain of 'sugar trees'.

He quickly bent down to touch them, letting out a huge sigh of relief. They were dry as could be, which meant whatever had left those was long gone, so there was no way for him to randomly stumble across it on the way back. Still, they weren't a very encouraging sight: footprints as big as 15 inches, with sharp claws, squished bushes and plants and a deep cut into the side of a tree, filled with woodchips and soot. What kind of creature was this?

He shook the question away; it was not the time nor the place to think about it. Even more careful, he kept jogging until he reached the tree base, practically flying up its branches between tired breaths. Despite the need to take a quick sip from the cold spring water, he decided to not step foot in the clearing until late morning, when there would be no sign of that animal anywhere. Once at the top, he practically collapsed on his sleeping spot, panting agitatedly for a few minutes. He inhaled quickly and turned his eyes to the gap between two branches, from where he could see the plateau of greenery Torray had flown off to rising up that small mountain.

The sun was now setting down slowly behind the far horizon, turning the skies to reds and oranges defined by thin lines of faint pink for anyone to marvel at. Another breeze flew by and disturbed the treetops, that shone and danced in the dim light of the dusk. Such a beautiful sight… at such a bad time too. The sunset was not aware of his problem, but the more he stared into it the more it seemed to comfort him and soon he felt his heartbeat return to a normal pace, just like his breathing. He got lost in thought watching the last rays disappear under the darkened sky and the stars popping up once in a while from behind the few clouds still lingering around. He knew that beast was still in the area, since it was its territory after all, but he was thankful for the peace and quiet night atmosphere.

 _At least now I can sleep_ , he thought, feeling his nerves die down as he shifted into a more adequate sleeping position, resting his head on his carefully folded prince robe. _We're gonna have to leave this place, no matter how hard it will be._ His eyelids slipped down and closed, right in time to let another thought pass through. _I wonder what Torray is doing…_ he thought and fell asleep, too early to hear a horrifying roar echo along the treetops, with the moon itself shaking in fear.

* * *

 **I'm baaack! Uuuuh, what could the mysterious animal be? :D Next chapter will be longer, but you'll have to be patient for it.**

 **Oh, and expect cliffhangers. Just a small warning…**

 **Also, are the chapters too short? My goal is about 3 000 words each one. Should I go double? Or 3 500? ;) ~333**


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